Photo courtesy of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Wednesday details of what she described as “the most far-reaching, bold and conservative education reforms anywhere in the entire country,” which would include a large pay raise for Arkansas teachers and a voucher program for parents and students.
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Sanders unveiled details of her long-awaited education plan. The plan includes raising the state’s minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 a year and a voucher program for students to attend private or home schools in front of an assembled group of Republican lawmakers at the state Capitol. The voucher program, called education freedom accounts, will be phased in over three years, the governor said.
“Like most other states, we’re dealing with a teacher shortage,” Sanders said. “It doesn’t help that Arkansas offers some of the lowest teacher pay in the country. That changes today.”
While a bill has yet to be made publicly available, Sanders said her plan also will include funding for reading coaches to improve literacy, bonuses “to our best educators,” grants for struggling students to hire tutors and a “dual diploma program” to better prepare students to enter the workforce upon graduation.
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